Turfing tool



Aug. 21, 1951 KlTTNER 2,565,135

TURFING TOOL.v

Filed Oct. 26, 1948 INVENTOR Hm@ mime? ATTO R N EYS Patented Aug. 21, 1951 TURFING TOOL Harry Kittner, New York, N. Y., assignor to Heirloom Needle Work Guild, Inc., a corporation of New York Application October 26, 1948, Serial No. 56,572

This invention relates to a turng tool for forming a series of loops through the surface of a fabric, as for forming rugs or the like.

Where the conventional turflng tool, which usually includes a hollow handle portion with a tubular needle through which the yarn extends and which is pointed at one end, is used to form loops in fabric, especially when rough fabric 'such as burlap is used, where the turng tool is lgripped adjacent the end of the handle from which the tubular needle extends, as the needle' is forced through the burlap to form a loop in the yarn, the users fingers and knuckles are apt to be rubbed on the burlap and after repeated use, may result in abrasions and bleeding with possibility of infection.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide a turfing tool of the above type that may be used repeatedly, at a relatively high rate of speed without special care or precaution, to form loops in even the roughest fabric without likelihood of injury to the hands of the user.

Another object is to provide a tool that is simple in construction having but the minimum number of parts, that is capable of easy adjustment to give the desired length of loop, is sturdy and efficient in use, is not likely to get out of order and can be manufactured at very low cost.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the turng tool in use, and,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the turng tool alone, taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the tool comprises a handle Il! of any suitable material such as wood or plastic, having a grip portion II with a shank portion I2, an annular flange I3 at the lower end of the shank portion and a reduced nose portion I4, said flange portion extending laterally outward from said shank with the intersection between said shank and said flange forming substantially a right angle. The handle is provided with a central passage I5 which extends longitudinally therethrough and in which is positioned the conventional type of needle I6 which is of tubular form and pointed at one end as at I'I with an eye 26 therethrough adjacent the point. The passage I5 is slightly larger in diameter than the maximum diameter of the needle to be used in conjunction with the handle and the passage I5 is open at the rear end 20 so 1 Claim. (Cl. 112-80) that the yarn may be passed through the handle and through the tubular needle.

For connecting the needle to the handle so that it is adjustable lengthwise thereof, the reduced nose portion I4 of the handle has a ferrule I8 securely affixed therearound, having a transversely extending threaded opening I9 therein aligned with a transverse opening extending through nose portion I4 into passage-I5. By means of a screw 2| threaded into said opening the needle may be rigidly aflixed in said handle with the pointed end Il projecting therefrom to the extent desired.

Encompassing the shank portion I2 of said handle Il! and seated on the upper edge 2'2 of annular flange I3 is a shield 23 which preferably comprises a disc of resilient material such as rubber having a central hole 24 of diameter smaller than that of flange I3 and also smaller than the shank I2 of the handle.

In assembling the tool the rubber disc or shield 23 is stretched so that flange I3 may pass through opening 24 therein. When the tension on shield 23 is released, it will contract, securely to grip the shank portion I2 of the handle immediately above flange I3.

In the use of the tool, the yarn is passed through the opening 2!) in the upper end of the handle and then through passage I5, the bore 25 of the needle and through the eye 26 thereof as shown. The grip portion I I of the handle is held as shown in Fig. 1 in the manner of a pencil or pen with the finger tips resting on the top of the rubber disc or shield 23. To form the loop in the fabric, the latter is stretched on a suitable frame 21 so that it is maintained in taut condition as shown in Fig. 1.

The user thereupon forces the needle through the fabric until the ferrule I8 abuts thereagainst and then quickly withdraws the needle until the tip I'I thereof is slightly above the fabric thereby forming the loop. The needle is thereupon moved over slightly and the operation repeated as often as required. As the users fingers are adjacent the rubber disc 23, they will not come in Contact with the rough fabric which might otherwise occur at the rapid rate at which the loop forming operation is generally performed and hence the linger tips and knuckles of the user will not be rubbed which might cause abrasions with possible danger of infection.

Thus by the use of the rubber disc or shield 23 on the handle of the tool, the user is able to make a large number of loops at a relatively high rate of speed inasmuch as no special care need be taken to prevent injury to the hands with the resultant convenience, speed and safety.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this inventon could be made without departing from the scope of the claim, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A turng tool comprising a handle having a grip portion and a shank portion, an annular flange at the end of said shank portion extending laterally outward therefrom, the intersection between said shank portion and said flange forming substantially a right angle and a reduced nose portion extending beyond said annular ange, a passageway extending longitudinally through said handle, a pointed tubular turfing needle positioned in said passageway adjustable lengthwise thereof and extending from said nose portion adjacent said ange, a shield of reater diameter than said handle comprising a resilient rubber disc having a central opening therein of smaller diameter than said flange and of smaller diameter than said shank portion, seated on the upper face of said flange and encompassing said shank portion, a sleeve encompassing said reduced nose portion and aixed thereto, said sleeve having a transverse threaded opening therein aligned with a transverse opening extending'through said nose portion and a set screw threaded into said opening whereby the longitudinal position of said needle may be adjusted.

HAR-RY KITTNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 537,021 Darling et al Apr. 9, 1895 983,763 Potter et al Feb. 7, 1911 1,059,035 Cleary Apr. 15, 1913 1,611,878 Brandes Dec. 28, 1926 1,674,855 Dahlen June 26, 1928 1,946,239 Ryan Feb. 6, 1934 2,053,721 Jones Sept. 8, 1936 

